This week’s had quite a few ups and downs. Work was amazingly productive, even if there were a few pretty long days after the long weekend. I’ve gotten some encouraging medical news, and making progress in a couple of different areas, even if the side effects of this new pill I’m on are inconvenient. We found out that the weirdness with our solar array is most likely due to an unhappy software update, though the control panel on the dishwasher (that I just fixed in August for another issue) has shorted out…

So yeah, the good and the bad have mostly balanced out there.

Oh yeah, I also voted early. If you’re able, (and here’s a good place to check your options), maybe you should too?

All that said, there’s one thing this week that’s been weighing heavily on me. I got word on Saturday that my local watering hole and hang-out, Dancing Kilt Brewery, is shutting down* at the end of this week, another casualty of rising rents and market saturation in the Richmond, VA area.

I’m really gonna miss this place; it’s only about two miles from home, and it’s right on the way to and from a favored park for hiking and my usual cycling trailhead on the VCT. It’s been a pleasant, relaxed and welcoming place for the last half-decade, family-owned and operated, and frequented by people who I might not always agree with, but remind me of the same sort of favored characters I’ve encountered ‘back where we came from’, and are always good for a hearty greeting and spirited conversation. I made a lot of friends there over the years, and I’m going to miss seeing them regularly.

Also, the beer was wonderful, and the place was nice enough to pay me to play my off-kilter music on the occasional Thursday night.

This week they’ve been putting their spin on the traditional ‘Irish Wake’, welcoming people back to both mourn and celebrate, with discounted pours (to clear the kegs out of the fridge), some live music, and a chance to raise a final pint or three in honor of the taproom and the good times we had there.

So, I’ve been over a couple of times this week doing just that with a glass of Headless Horseman Oktoberfest, and maybe grabbing more than a few cans to stash away for when I need a reminder that there’s some good in the world if you look for it.

In any case, here’s some music the algorithm decided I needed to hear today:

1. “So Ready” – Goose
2. “How Lucky” – Kurt Vile w John Prine
3. “Whatcha Want” – Lawrence
4. “Sweet” – Jobi Riccio
5. “Glory, Glory (I am Free)” – Dea Matrona
6. “Dancing with Sue” – Wyatt C. Louis
7. “Hold on Loosely” – Joe Bonamassa, Train
8. “Superstar”- Rainbow Kitten Surprise
9. “This Is Life” – Winnetka Bowling League, Medium Build, Dawes
10. “Scars” – Fruition
11. “First High” – Nikki Lane
12. “Coming Home Song” – Sammy Raye & The Friends
13. “Harvest Moon – Live at Echo Mountain” – Melt
14. “Backmask 1983” – Carbon Leaf

______________________________

* – While I know it’s ridiculous to attribute this additional cause, the Kilt is the third brewery I’ve played at in town that’s shut down. As they say, “once is by chance, two is coincidence, three is a pattern.” I guess I should only play at crappy places in order to use my powers for good.